Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants (<$75k)

Connors Brothers Clover Leaf brand foods (CBCL) is a world leader in canned seafood products with almost_x000D_ half the share of all Canadian canned seafood market. The Clover Leaf and Bumblebee brands operate as a_x000D_ wholly owned subsidiaries of Connors Bros and are two of the world's top 10 leading suppliers of shelf stable_x000D_ seafood. Canada's Smartest Kitchen, the food product research and development center, co-located within_x000D_ Holland College's Culinary Institute of Canada is a national leader in food innovation and an NSERC_x000D_ Technology Access Center. Connor Bros. Clover Leaf and CSK have an established research partnership dating_x000D_ back several years and have worked closely on the development of several new products destined for Caribbean_x000D_ markets. This research proposal is looking to build on the well-established relationship between CBCL and_x000D_ CSK to help develop new innovative value added seafood products in Atlantic Canada in order to help meet the_x000D_ worldwide demand of their products while maintaining a level of sustainability of the dwindling fish stocks._x000D_ Canada's Smartest Kitchen will work closely with CBCL over the span of this proposed two year project to_x000D_ develop new innovative products, while reducing waste, providing value to underutilized products and training_x000D_ employees and new culinary students. Canada's Smartest Kitchen will provide hands on educational_x000D_ experiences to students of the Culinary Institute of Canada while also teaching employees of CBCL the_x000D_ proprietary SMART food product development process that CSK has developed and now implements for each_x000D_ of the new research and development projects it undertakes._x000D_ There are several food product ideas that CBCL has approached CSK to explore and further develop, including_x000D_ a seafood protein analog, a fish Vienna sausage product, ready to eat tuna meals, and skinned and de-boned_x000D_ sardine filets. Each of these products would be new to the marketplace and would require extensive research_x000D_ into the properties of ingredients, flavours, processing requirements and capacity. For each of the products,_x000D_ there would also require market research, sensory testing, focus groups, and ideation. Ground-up product